1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to mounting terminals with electric wires into connector housings. The invention has particular, but not exclusive application, for connecting terminals with electric wires and then inserting the terminals with electric wires into connector housings from the back.
2. Description of Background Information
Press-connecting and press-clamping are mainly adopted for connecting electric wires with connector terminals in a wire harness and the like.
A press-connecting connection (hereinafter, merely referred to as press-connecting) is shown in FIG. 27. The press-connecting terminals t are loaded in the cavities s of a connector housing C. Press-connecting blade guides 1 are matched with the connector housing C (FIG. 27(a)), and electric wires a are supplied (FIG. 27(b)), and pressed and connected in the terminals t by press-connecting blades 2 (FIG. 27(c)). Namely, the press-connecting presses and loads the electric wires a into a connector housing C from above.
A press-clamping connection (hereinafter, merely referred to as press-clamping) successively press-clamps the connecting pieces of the terminals on the bare conductors after removing the covering of the electric wires. Accordingly, in general, the press-clamping press-clamps the terminals to every electric wire, chucks pick up the terminals one by one with a hand 3 and insert them into the cavities s of the connector housing C from the back (terminal-inserting inlet) as shown in FIG. 29 (refer to Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) Hei No.9-115642 and the like).
In the above-mentioned press-connecting, for example, in the case of the connector housing C having the cavities s of two stages in a wire harness, the connector housing C is conventionally divided into an upper housing C1 and a lower housing C2 in order to press the electric-wires in from the upper face of each housing C1, C2 as shown in FIG. 28. After the terminals t and the electric wires a are respectively loaded on the upper housing C1 and the lower housing C2 (from FIG. 28(a) to FIG. 28(b)), cover b is closed and both C1 and C2 are integrally connected together (FIG. 28(c)) (refer to Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) Hei No.10-335037 and the like).
The conventional press-connecting requiring two housings C1 and C2 has further many working steps and it causes an increase in cost. Further, the walls e between the cavities may be bent outwards and the housings swollen by pressing power during press-connecting. As a result, it can happen that the cover b is not successfully closed and the upper housing C2 and the lower housing C1 are not successfully united. Further, from the viewpoint of reducing the bending problems of the cavity walls e, this type of connector C for press-connecting has terminals t in all of the cavities. However, it was found that mounting terminals t in the cavities s to which electric wires a are not press-connected did not avoid the problems. Further, dismantling of both housings C1 and C2 is required for newly press-connecting electric wires a in empty cavities s. As a result the press-connecting is virtually impossible.
In the press clamping on the other hand, the terminals t with the electric wires a are mounted in the cavities s one by one from the back. As a result, only one connector housing C (not divided) is required in place of the two stage type connector C as described above. However it is necessary to connect the electric wires a on the terminals t one by one, and it has a problem in workability. In addition, the connection of the terminals t one by one is apt to cause a chucking miss. Further, since the electric wires a are inserted while being held, the electric wires a are apt to buckle as shown by the chain line of FIG. 29, and such buckling causes a mounting miss.
Further, in the case of the connector housing C having the cavities s of two stages or more, there is a connector housing which mounts the terminals t in the cavities s of the upper and lower stages so that their backs face each other. In this case, after the electric wires a are chucked with the hand 3 as shown in FIG. 30(a), the terminals t are inserted in the rotational jig D as shown in FIG. 30(b), rolled in the direction of the arrow mark under a condition in which the chucking is released, and chucked again to be inserted in the cavities s as shown in FIG. 30(c). The rolling action occasionally results in causing a twisting force on the electric wires a, and there is a risk that the terminals t cannot be straightforwardly re-chucked and a smooth insertion cannot be obtained.
The present invention aims to provide a solution to the problems and disadvantages of the known press-connecting and press-clamping connections described above.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for mounting press-connecting terminals with electric wires into a connector housing characterized by loading the terminals into a terminal-connecting jig, connecting the electric wires with the terminals, removing terminals with electric wires from the terminal-connecting jig, and inserting the terminals with electric wires from the back into cavities of the connector housing.
By the present invention, a process of connecting the electric wires to the terminals can be achieved which enables the terminals to be inserted and loaded with electric wires in the cavities of the connector housing from the back. As a result, a cost saving can be obtained.
In order to do so, if press-connecting terminals are firstly loaded in the jigs, the electric wires can be loaded from the upper surface of the jig for press-connecting in a manner similar to the conventional process. In this way, the press connecting terminals with electric wires can be obtained by press-connecting without any trouble.
Then, if the press-connecting terminals with electric wires are removed from the press-connecting jigs and loaded in the connector housing, the press-connecting terminals can be inserted in the cavities of the connector housing from the back in like manner to the press-clamping terminals of FIG. 29, and workability is greatly improved.
If press-clamping is carried out in place of press-connecting, for example, if press-clamping terminals are loaded in the jigs and the electric wires, after peeling, are press-clamped on the terminals, the press-clamping terminals can be inserted in the connector housing according to a similar action, and workability is again greatly improved.
Preferably, the steps of loading the terminals into the terminal connecting jig, connecting the electric wires with the terminals, removing the terminals with the wires from the terminal-connecting jig, and inserting the terminals with electric wires from the back into cavities of the connector housing are sequentially carried out automatically.
In the case where the housing has two stages, an upper stage and a lower stage, the housing is preferably rolled (inverted) for inserting the terminals with electric wires from the back into cavities of the upper and lower stages.
Advantageously, the terminals with electric wires are transferred to a terminal-inserting jig from the terminal-connecting jig, and the terminals with electric wires are inserted into the cavities of the connector housing from the terminal-inserting jig.
The terminals with electric wires may be conveniently loaded into cavities in the connecting jig and are preferably prevented from falling out by protrusions on spring plates below the cavities.
Preferably, the terminals with electric wires are transferred from the connecting jig to the inserting jig by pins of a pushing-out jig pushed up through holes below the terminals in the connecting jig.
Advantageously, each terminal with electric wire is transferred by two pins which contact the terminal in a longitudinal direction before and behind the electric wire connecting area.
Preferably, the terminals with electric wires are transferred from the connecting jig to cavities in the inserting jig and are preferably prevented from falling out of the cavities by a shutter. The terminals may be conveniently guided when pushed out of the inserting jig by guides on the shutter and a clearance is preferably provided in the shutter for the pins.
Advantageously, the terminals with electric wires are guided when transferred to the inserting jig by transfer guides on both sides of the cavities.
Preferably, the terminals with electric wires are transferred from the inserting jig to the cavities of the connector housing by members which push out the terminals in a longitudinal direction and support rear end faces of the terminals.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of mounting terminals with electric wires into connector housings includes:
(a) providing a connector jig having one or more cavities for receiving a terminal;
(b) inserting at least one terminal in a cavity of the connector jig;
(c) connecting a wire to the at least one terminal located in the cavity;
(d) providing an inserting jig having one or more cavities for receiving a terminal with a wire connected thereto;
(e) relatively moving the connector jig and the inserting jig to position the connector jig below the inserting jig to align the cavity with the terminal and electric wire connected thereto in the connector jig with a cavity in the inserting jig;
(f) transferring the at least one terminal with the wire connected thereto from the connector jig to the inserting jig by applying a force to an underside of the terminal to displace the terminal with the wire connected thereto upwards into the cavity in the inserting jig;
(g) providing a connector housing having one or more cavities for receiving a terminal with a wire connected thereto;
(h) relatively moving the inserting jig and the connector housing to align the cavity with the terminal and wire connected thereto in the inserting jig with a cavity in the connector housing; and
(I) transferring the at least one terminal with the wire connected thereto from the cavity in the inserting jig to the connector housing.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for mounting press-connecting terminals with electric wires in a connector housing characterized by a mounting machine for mounting the terminals on a connecting jig, electric wire-measuring and wire-connecting machines for connecting wires to the terminals, and a terminal-mounting machine for removing the terminals with electric wires from the press-connecting jig and inserting the terminals with electric wires from the back into cavities of the connector housing. Preferably, the machines are sequentially installed along guide rails.
Advantageously, an inserting jig is provided to receive the terminals with electric wires from the connecting jig and insert the terminals with electric wires into the cavities in the connector housing. Preferably, a mechanism is provided for inserting the terminals with electric wires into the cavities of the connector housing by pushing out the terminals.
In one arrangement, the mechanism has a plurality of blades movable in an inserting direction for inserting respective terminals with electric wires into the cavities of the connector housing. The blades may be independently movable. Alternatively, a selection mechanism may be provided for moving selected blades as a unit.
Advantageously, a roll over mechanism is provided for supporting the connector housing in either one of two positions to present selected cavities for inserting the terminals with electric wires. For example, the connector housing preferably has upper and lower stages and the roll over mechanism includes a frame for mounting the connector housing and means for rotating the frame through 180xc2x0 to roll over (invert) the connector housing whereby the connector housing is supported in a first position to present the cavities of the upper stage for inserting the terminals and is rolled over and supported in a second position to present the cavities of the lower stage for inserting the terminal.
Preferably, the connecting jig has cavities for mounting the terminals arranged in parallel on an upper face and provided with penetration holes for pushing-up pins which contact a lower face of the terminals and strip off the terminals so that the terminals on which the electric wires are connected are capable of being stripped off upwards from the cavities.
Advantageously, the terminals are loaded from the front of the cavities in the connecting jig, contacted with the back of the cavities, and hooked on protrusions of spring plates arranged under the cavities to prevent the terminals falling out. In this way, the terminals are stabilized in the cavities and the action of attaching the wires such as the press-connecting or the like is stabilized.
More particularly, after the terminals are loaded in the respective cavities of the connecting jig, the electric wires are press-connected or press-clamped on the respective terminals from above, the pushing-up pins are raised through the penetration holes from below, and the terminals with electric wires attached are ejected from the cavities. Accordingly, the terminals are received and mounted in the connector housing. At this time, if the receiving of the terminals can be unified, a unified mounting can be carried out.
When the above-mentioned terminals are press-connecting terminals, the electric wires can be loaded from the top of the connecting jigs in like manner as a conventional process. The press-connecting terminals with electric wires can be obtained by press-connecting without any trouble if the press connecting terminals are loaded in the connecting jigs and the electric wires are press connected on the press-connecting terminals. In this case, it is designed to remove the terminals with electric wires from the connecting jigs and load them in the connector housings. Thus, the press-connecting terminals can be inserted in the cavities of the connector housings from the back in like manner as the press-clamping terminals of FIG. 29, and workability is greatly improved. The press clamping can be also carried out on the retaining jigs. Preferably, a mechanism is provided for transferring the terminals with electric wires from the cavities of the connector jig into the cavities of the inserting jig by pushing out the terminals.
In one arrangement, the connecting jigs can be provided with pushing-up pins. Thus, the pushing-up pins may be arranged under a condition capable of protrusion through respective penetration holes in a lower face of the cavities. For example, the pushing-up pins may be provided on a pushing-up plate freely movable on the base of the connecting jig with the pushing-up plate pushed up and elevated from the underside of the base by an actuator. Thus, when the arrangement of cavities in the connector housing is changed and the connector jigs only need to be changed to correspond to the change. Namely, the actuator to carry out the pushing-up action can be used in common with the connecting jigs of different modes.
Preferably, springs are arranged on the base of the connecting jigs for moving the pushing-up plate in the return direction in which the pushing-up pins retreat from the cavities. As a result, the return action such as by self-weight of the pushing-up plates or the like, or the return action by the actuator or the like becomes unnecessary. In this way, the return action becomes positive and the cost can be reduced.
Advantageously, two penetration holes are arranged in correspondence with the longitudinal direction of the terminals received in the cavities of the connector jig, and the pushing-up pins are arranged in correspondence with the penetration holes. As a result, the pushing-up pins are pushed up in the longitudinal direction of the terminals before and after the electric-wire connecting part of the terminals. In this way, the pushing-up action becomes stable because the pushing-up pins provide two contact points.
More particularly, the two contact points support the load caused by the self-weight of electric-wires and, because the two points are before and after the connecting parts, the load caused by the self-weight of electric wires is steadily supported. Accordingly, the pushing-up action becomes more stable.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for mounting terminals with connector wires into connector housings including:
(a) a connector jig having an upper surface;
(b) at least one cavity in the upper surface for receiving a terminal;
(c) at least one hole penetrating the cavity from below;
(d) pin mechanism for insertion in the at least one hole for displacing the terminal in an upwards direction;
(e) mechanism for connecting a wire to the terminal in the connector jig cavity;
(f) an inserting jig having a lower surface;
(g) at least one cavity in the lower surface for receiving a terminal;
(h) mechanism for aligning the at least one cavity in the upper surface of the connector jig with the at least one cavity in the lower surface of the inserting jig whereby the terminal with the wire connected thereto can be transferred from the connector jig to the inserting jig by actuation of the pin mechanism;
(I) a connector housing having a rear surface;
(j) at least one cavity in the rear surface for receiving a terminal;
(k) mechanism for aligning the at least one cavity in the lower surface of the inserting jig with the at least one cavity in the connector housing; and
(l) mechanism for transferring the terminal with the wire connected thereto from the inserting jig to the connector housing.
Preferably, the connector jig has a plurality of cavities in the upper surface, the inserting jig has a plurality of cavities in the lower surface, and the connector housing has a plurality of cavities in the rear surface whereby one or more terminals with wires attached thereto can be transferred from the connector jig to the connector housing via the inserting jig.
Advantageously, a plurality of connector housings are provided and the inserting jig is operable to transfer terminals with wires connected thereto from the connector jig to the connector housings in a pre-determined manner.